Brokenbeat / Nu Jazz Recommendation September 2014

Review: One part experiment, three parts dedication to details, a million parts celebration of Columbian salsa: Don Pascal's piano heavy "Tributo" and "Tumbao" bridge the gap between timeless Latin folk and modern dancefloor soul with instrumentation recorded direct from the source (via Quantic of course) and skippy, swinging broken beat grooves. With only 300 copies pressed, a whole range of creative DJ tools and a remix from the highly on-point producer and editor The Reflex, Tru Thoughts have gone to town on this in every direction.

Review: Last seen on the Tru Thoughts label back in 2011 with his debut LP Chapters, London based Masaaki Yoshida aka Anchorsong resurfaces on the like-minded BBE with the Mawa EP. The time out of the spotlight has evidently seen Yoshida expand on his production palette as the downtempo stylings of his Tru Thoughts output has been traded for something a lot more upbeat on the four tracks here. The lead track is a dizzying melange of sampled African chants and tape saturated percussion that's blessed with some abstract textural detail, whilst "Flamingos" features some excellent marimba manipulation and gives Jamie xx a run for his money in the emotive bass music stakes. The tempo gets thrusted upwards with "Ivory" though there is still a delicate feel to the overall production, whilst closing track "Mantra" sounds like Shangaan Electro gone UK house.

Review: Young Turks clearly believe that Tahlilah Barnett, formerly known as Twigs (hence the FKA Twigs pseudonym) is a star in the making. They plucked her from obscurity last year and have since released a number of highly regarded singles. This debut album expands on her EPs to date, showcasing her woozy, intricate take on post-R&B. Naturally, her vocals - fragile and evocative, sounding not unlike Kate Bush on occasions - take centre stage, riding a bed of layered-up head-nodding rhythms, post dubstep grooves, trip-hop soundscapes, fizzing electronics and bubbling synthesizers. It's an intoxicating brew, all told, and one that delivers further proof of Barnett's immense potential.

Review: Last seen on vinyl dabbling in music inspired by '70s Swedish erotica for a Golf Channel boxset aimed at the more well heeled collectors, DJ Nature returns with the first of two 12" samplers to accompany the recent Let The Children Play mini album on Jazzy Sport. Initially released on CD and digital formats in March, it's nice to see Nature's music finally find it's natural format and this first sampler contains two absolute gems. "Let The Children Play" is a deep jazz throbber pitched at just the right beatdown tempo to accentuate the lazy feeling of the sampled horns. In truth "Why Not" doesn't really deviate too far from the path laid down on the A Side, though the groove is that bit more hypnotic.

Review: Brownswood affiliate and Five Easy Pieces artist Reginald spins a dreamy, drummy yarn. Modern day soul that's as good for the head as it is for the dance, this six track EP builds on the momentum he's been developing over the last few years. Highlights include the infectious staccato guitar twangs and synth shots of "The Hustler", the lolloping beats and woozy horn waves of "Fire Burning" and the deep sea soul penetration of "Hold It Together". Moving stuff....

Review: Timeless jazz soul vibes... London singer Andre Espeut teams up with Juan Laya & Jorge Montiel for another super-infectious sunny side groove. Following last year's "Rising" (which was successfully remixed by D&B don Marky) "Here Today" hammers a hugely positive message home by way of rich harmonies, lavish keys and bold horns. And for proof of how solid the musical bedrock Andre has to play with, flip for the equally spirited instrumental. Wow.

Review: In the period since the release of his late 2012 album Hardcourage, Drew Lustman has founded his own label as well as dropping singles on Swamp81 and Ninja Tune, slipped out the odd remix and kept up a busy touring schedule. Where he managed to fit in the studio time for a fourth album In The Wild is not clear but a new FaltyDL long player will always be welcome. At 17 tracks long, In The Wild is Lustman's most comprehensive display of his production palette by some distance with the Brooklyn based artist using the afforded space to really go deep into his various creative impulses. It's a lot to take in immediately, but tracks such as "Frontin'" and "Ahead The Ship Sleeps" feel like FaltyDL on top form.

Review: Teasing us with the long-awaited arrival of his second album Esperanto Slang, the masked funkateer known simply as Captain Planet reconnects with Brit Lauren on In The Gray. Both original and instturmental versions are mildly skanking poplets that ooze contemporary soul panache thanks to the bright instrumentation and in the case of the A Side OG version infectious hookiness. Flip for the dub; a bubbly jam that bounces on a tightly coiled groove. There's nothing grey about this release.